THE MAFIA KING’S UNEXPECTED OBSESSION

Adrian POV BANG! The first bullet missed my head by an inch while the second shattered the window beside me. I ducked. Glass rained across the floor. “Where is it?” A voice rang out. I pressed my back against the wall, breathing hard as beads of sweat appeared on my forehead. I was already wounded badly before I was brought here. The room smelled of gunpowder and blood. I looked at the man standing across from me, he wasn’t breathing heavily, that was the terrifying part. Two of his men had just fired at me, yet the devil, known as Il Lupo, looked as calm as if we were discussing business over dinner. “I’m not telling you.” He flexed his fingers at his side. “You have one chance, Adrian.” I laughed bitterly, though it came out rougher than I intended. “You’ve been saying that for the last twenty minutes.” I knew my words were infuriating him more but I didn’t care at this point. He stepped closer. I reached beneath my jacket. The gun in my hand was useless as there were no bullets left and his men surrounded the room. I knew I wasn’t getting out but I had prepared for that. My fingers brushed against the small metal object in my pocket. His eyes dropped to the movement. “What did you take?” I masked my nervousness with a smile. “Nothing.” He moved faster than I expected, as his fist connected with my jaw. I hit the floor with a loud thud. Pain exploded through my skull. “Where is the ledger?” He pressed on further, not relenting. The question everyone had been asking for days, the question that had turned my life into a countdown. I wiped the blood from my mouth. “You’re never going to find it.” I stuttered, tremors evident in my tone. He crouched in front of me. “You think this ends with you?” “No.” I looked directly into his eyes. “That’s the point.” Something changed in his expression. For the first time that night, I saw something other than anger. It was more of a concern, but clearly not for me, at least from what I knew. I leaned closer. “You should have killed me when you had the chance.” I winced. His hand closed around my collar. “Where is it?” I licked the blood off my lips. “Somewhere you’ll never think to look.” His grip on me tightened, I was already bracing myself for the next hit when his phone rang. He released me and answered it. “Speak.” His expression didn’t change but the room suddenly felt colder. One of his men stepped forward. “Boss?” He handed him the phone. The man listened for several seconds before looking at me. “The girl.” My heart stopped. Mia, my sister. I had spent years keeping her away from this world. She knew nothing, that had been the whole point. I looked at Il Lupo. For the first time that night, I was really afraid, not for myself but for her. “Leave her out of this.” I pleaded hysterically. He slowly lowered the phone. “You should have thought about that before you stole from us.” “I didn’t steal it for myself.” “Then who?” I said nothing. His eyes narrowed, he understood, everyone always did eventually. “Your sister.” My silence answered him. He smiled. It wasn’t a kind smile, it was the smile of a man who had just discovered where to press. “Where is she?” “You don’t need to know.” “I already know enough.” He scoffed. My stomach dropped. He turned to one of his men. “Find anything about her.” I lunged forward despite the pain I was in but two men grabbed me before I could reach him. “Don’t!” My voice cracked. He looked at me with something close to disgust. “You’re afraid now.” “She’s innocent.” Tears streamed down my face. “I know.” “Then leave her alone.” I gasped, unable to keep my eyes straight. “Tell me where the ledger is.” I tried focusing my sight on him. He stared back. Then I laughed with every ounce of strength left in me. “You really don’t understand.” “Understand what?” “Even if I told you…” I looked toward the shattered window. “…you’d never find it.” His expression hardened. He raised his gun, and I stopped fighting. There was no point anymore, all I could think about was Mia, her face, her angelic voice. The last time I saw her she was angry with me, I promised that I would come back, I hadn’t told her goodbye. The gun clicked. I looked at Il Lupo one last time. “If you ever find her…” I struggled for air. “Don’t touch her.” He said nothing. I closed my eyes, unable to keep it open, and the gun fired. Two Years Later Mia Callahan had no idea that her brother’s final words had just put a target on her back. She had no idea who Il Lupo was. And she certainly had no idea that the man who had spent two years searching for what Adrian stole…had already found her.